If SAT would need additional Belugas these would rather be based on a A330 or A340 than the A300.
There were pictures of a Beluga A340 it was planned to transport parts of the Arianne V but was dropped.
Sad to see the A300/A310 go but there werenï¿½t much sales lately except for the few freighters. The closure of the A300 line could also mean the launch of the A330-200 freighter.

It will forever be a McDonnell Douglas MD 80 , Boeing MD 80 sounds so wrong

Quoting NA (Thread starter):skyliner-aviation reports Airbus is closing the A300/310 production line as early as August next year.

This may be the case if the A300F does not attractsome more orders in the mean time. Fed Ex still hold some recentoptions for the A300. They may eventually choose to convert them intothe A330F if launched.

Either way its always sad to say goodbye. Especially recently with the B717,B757 and soon the A300/A310.

I don´t think so. I f they decided to close it down its not so easy to open it up again. Surely it would be easier for Airbus to start building A300s again, if someone suddenly wants 50 of them, than it would be for Boeing to give the 757 a restart, as the A300 has many parts in common with the A330. But once the place is taken by other aircraft, and suppliers contracts terminated, its hardly thinkable that this will be reversed. The A300/310 has seen no serious update since the -600 series in the mid-80s, so its old technology.

Quoting Columba (Reply 3):The closure of the A300 line could also mean the launch of the A330-200 freighter.

Why I would love to see this, is Airbus ready to put in a stronger floor in the A332? Personally, I think it would make an excellent freighter.

Quoting NA (Reply 7):I don´t think so. I f they decided to close it down its not so easy to open it up again.

Many of the parts require an 18 month lead time. Not to mention keeping the plant ready to run costs good money. Too much to consider. By August a large number of jigs and stands will have already been cut up and scrapped. In the US, such items can often only be fully depreciated for taxes when scapped so there is an incentive to get it out the door as fast as possible.

While a good design, the A300 is an older design and thus it is time to bid it farewell. With the transfer of the UPS A300 order to the A380... Its most likely too late to save the line. Also, far too many 742's, 767's, DC-10's, and older A300's are parked and ready for freighter conversion. That alone will kill a production line dependent on freighter orders.

Quote:In response to market demand for its newer aircraft ranges Airbus will progressively phase out the A300/A310 final assembly. This follows more than 35 years of successful marketing and production of Airbus' original aircraft programme. The last A300-600 aircraft on order will be handed over in July 2007.

"It is in Airbus' best business interest to optimise the use of its resources at this time. We are implementing a major production ramp-up across our business as the A300/A310 programme nears completion. This is in response to growing demand from our customers for the newer Airbus products like the A321, the A330/A340 family and the new A350 aircraft, that cover or even go beyond the market segment of our original aircraft programme," Airbus President and CEO Gustav Humbert said.

"The A300/A310 programme launched the Airbus success story and with a total of 821 orders it has surpassed all commercial expectations. The spirit behind the A300/ 310 continues into the 21st century, most recently with the A380 and the A350 programmes," Mr. Humbert said. "I wish to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all customers and all Airbus employees who have participated over the years in designing, developing, marketing and building these exceptional aircraft."

During the last two years, around 150 Airbus employees produced about one aircraft a month on the A300/A310 final assembly line. All employees involved in the A300/A310 production will be offered new positions in other current or future programmes. Airbus is currently undergoing a ramp-up phase with significant internal demand for this skilled and experienced workforce. It is expected that deliveries of Airbus aircraft will surpass 400 in 2006, up from 378 in 2005.

The A300, launched in May 1969 and entering service with Air France in May 1974, was the very first wide-body twin ever brought to the market, setting totally new standards in the industry. With the A310, launched in July 1978 and entering service in April 1983 with Lufthansa and Swissair, Airbus again set new standards with the first two-man cockpit on a wide-body, introducing digital technology and cathode ray tube (CRT) displays for the first time. These technological advances enabled Airbus to establish its credibility as a reliable manufacturer with a vision of the future, setting the foundation for its current success.

The A300/A310 programme has achieved a total of 821 orders. 802 aircraft have been delivered until the end of January 2006. The order backlog comprises A300 freighter aircraft to be delivered to Federal Express (FedEx), United Parcel Service (UPS) and Galaxy Airlines. Airbus plans to offer new freighter versions of current aircraft when the A300/A310 programme will be completed.

To date, there are more than 650 A300s and A310s in service with about 80 operators worldwide. It is expected that the A300s and A310s will continue their operational life for many years with half of the fleet expected to still be in operation beyond 2025. Airbus' "Long term fleet support programme" will support their operability until the very last aircraft is retired from service.

Quoting Scbriml (Reply 19):Airbus plans to offer new freighter versions of current aircraft when the A300/A310 programme will be completed.

First, thanks for the PR. Second, I have no doubt Airbus will develop more freighters.

Now for the speculation. What will the line be used for? I expect the A350 on the A330/340 line... Could airbus open another A320 line? That would be my bet. Think about it, delivery slots in 2008 and 2009 are going to be precious for single isle aircraft...